Nursing Schools in Arkansas

As our population grows and ages, the need for talented health care professionals is constantly on the rise. If you are interested in entering the field as soon as possible, but aren’t looking to pigeon hole yourself into a role with no advancement, nursing is one of the best careers you can pursue. You can start working as a registered nurse within just a few years by earning an associate’s or diploma or certification from an accredited school and passing the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Upon completion, you can continue your education to a BSN, Master’s or even a doctoral program entering careers such as nurse practitioner or doctor of nursing sciences. The sky is the limit and the only thing that is in the way right now is your education. Look at the specific information for Arkansas nurses and use that information to give you a head start on your path into this exciting field.

In 2011, Arkansas only saw 140 total medical school graduates in the state. With 24,000 total registered nurses supporting a population of nearly 3 million, you can see why Arkansas is in such desperate need of new nursing graduates. Registered nurses in Arkansas earn an average of $55,000 a year. To ensure you earn as close to that number (or even above it) education and experience are key. You will find that Hot Springs and Little Rock have the highest percentage of RNs working relative to the population. Fayetteville and Jonesboro bring up the other end of the rankings, seeing the lowest percentage of RNs relative to the population. Little Rock and Hot Springs do offer the highest median salary, though, so the extra struggle that may come with finding work in those cities may be worth it if salary is your number one concern.

The University of Arkansas Medical Center, McClellan VA Medical Center and Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock and Sparks Health System and Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith, all rank among the top 25 employers in the state across all industries. These should be good places to start working towards earning the experience you need to make the most of your education. You may even find tuition assistance as you continue your education, so keep that in mind as you research the companies.

Finances

You will also find financial aid from universities unique for their students. These financial aid options will include loans, grants and scholarships offered to all students, and at times uniquely to students of specific schools. Keep this in mind as you start looking at what colleges you may want to start attending. You will also want to take advantage of the loans, scholarships and loan repayment plans offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. With millions of Americans lacking even the most basic health care, the HRSA is investing a great deal into helping students enter the medical field to start providing health care to those that need it most. Spend plenty of time on the site and take advantage of all of the options they offer.

UAMS College of Nursing is a CCNE accredited institution that provides BSN, MSN, DNP and PhD programs to over 600 students. You will find practice programs in pediatrics, women’s health, gerontology, family psych, primary care, mental health and genetics. The faculty include national and regional leaders with achievements including presidents of Sigma Theta Tau International and the Southern Nursing Research Society as well as the Southern Regional Education Board Council of Collegiate Education in Nursing. Research focus areas include cardiovascular, sleep, gerontology, forensic nursing and cancer. Located in Arkansas’s only academic health science center, the world-class clinical facilities and the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Related Professions, grant partnerships in to a unique way of learning that few other colleges can offer in the world.

In the heart of the Mid-South with roots in the rich cultural mix of the Delta, ASU honors their past while looking to the future. You’ll have access to a diverse faculty, staff and student body and the time to value each individual is a focus. With over a century in the making, ASU considers itself a work in progress that is constantly striving to get better. When St. Bernard’s Hospital closed its diploma school of nursing in the 1950’s, Northeast Arkansas was left without a program that prepared students to pass the RN licensure exam. Now that Jonesboro is growing as a regional medical center, ASU is ensuring that the community can be assured that nurses would be available to take on this new challenge.